Emily King has a near-magical gift for digging into life's deepest sorrows and uncovering unexpected beauty and illuminating truth. The NYC-bred artist brings ever-evolving levels of depth and nuance to her songwriting, rooting each revelation into a mesmerizing blend of soul, R&B and forward-thinking pop. Special Occasion - the follow-up to the multiple GRAMMY-nominated Scenery (2019) - is an intimate look at the ways we love, grieve, and stumble toward a greater sense of self-understanding.

Her lush voice over her often dreamy arrangements make her my go-to visionary for love. She makes romance feel like cake, while singing to how unsweet it can turn. Thus, her acoustic renditions of her favorite and most beloved songs, in new album Sides, are still magical but feel more rooted in her lyrical wonders over love. I often laud King’s voice for its instant distinctiveness and clarity. She makes her emotional purpose and presence so clear in its desire: to make feelings felt. EVERY SONG is emotional in this world because, as human beings, we can’t stop talking about our feelings. Even numbness is, technically, the feeling of not feeling. Yet, Sides adds weight to feelings; connecting them to the choices and dreamed opportunities we hope to gain with loving someone else. In some ways, having a partner in life is not just about having a companion for your life’s path but also having a new path, and King captures that with Sides.